Chapter 1,262. (Patreon)

The octagon had already been forced to endure the assault of a Foreign God and Heaven's increasing pressure. With the remnant Imperial Faith being commandeered by Zac, it was only a shadow of its former glory. The bone dragon's tremendous aura already pushed its limits, and they were fully crossed when Kator's temporal quagmire spread through the hall.

The floor gave way, exposing the seemingly bottomless chasm. Walls and ceilings followed, and a rain of rubble crashed into the floating constructs. Only the spire and control rooms remained, kept aloft by hidden mechanics. The Core Formation Arrays had no such function, and Zac took out two of his flying treasures to stop them from falling to the depths.

Zac had no choice but to stay behind. Stepping outside the spire's protective domain of Imperial Faith with either of his bodies would expose him to the true power of Heaven's wrath. He finally got a full view of the situation outside through the capital-sized hole ripped open by the Foreign God. The sky could've been a stormy sea made from the darkest ichor. The tribulation clouds were extremely unstable, looking like they were consuming themselves.

The seas heaved, and the pressure decreased as hair-raising forces were unleased far in the distance. Was his plan working? Zac had focused on siphoning off Imperial Faith from the Ascension Chamber, hoping it would get in the way of the pope's Dao Confirmation. Judging by the steep jump in his tribulation's intensity, it worked better than expected.

The flip side was that his own tribulation had slowed down after Heaven's wrath had been redirected. Zac hadn't been forgotten, but the slow buildup meant he'd have to wait a while longer before the third bolt arrived. It was like the tribulation clouds were lending Kator a helping hand. Zac wouldn't mind a quick conclusion either, but he clearly fared much better against the Four Desolates than his opponent.

The heavens weren't the only dangers lurking outside the warming rays of Imperial Faith. The amount of ambient corruption had skyrocketed since they fled into the octagon. In the war between the Centurion Star and the Lost Plane, the Lost Plane was coming out ahead. At least two-thirds of the innumerable tears outside were leaking corruption instead of starlight.

Dense mist blocked Zac's view of the Eternal Guardians and their prey. Their battle was still ongoing, though. Distant eruptions shook Zac to his core. He prayed the imbalance between light and dark outside wasn't a reflection of their battle, as there wasn't anything he could do for them at this point. Even if he could, he already had his hands full.

The dragon's jaws opened in a silent shriek that spewed forth a virulent plume filled with Kator's mixed Daos and corruption. Both dragon and quagmire were like Kator, changed after drawing in too much purple mist. The scene reminded Zac of himself when the remnants were ravaging his body, though it remained to be seen if there was any coming back from Kator's brush with ancient madness.

Zac was different from Kator, who had been given a year's worth of preparation and recovery. His body was a mess, and the second tribulation still hadn't been routed from his Cosmic Core. Thankfully, he wasn't alone. An immense column of sunlight tore through the madness. It held the scorching warmth of high summer, dispelling gloom and drying out the swamp.

The attack intercepted the dragon's breath. It fell woefully short of stopping it in its tracks, but it managed to exhaust some of its overbearing energy. Its radiance also made the quagmire cast another set of shadows that stirred the moment they formed. They shimmered and became false, turning the very real domain that cast the shadow into an illusion.

Emily's and Ogras's concerted efforts weren't enough to disrupt the suppressive domain, but every bit helped. With the outside pressure on him reduced, Zac once more drew on the pristine energy seeping into his quantum space. Some was already being used to resist the tribulation. Even more was yanked out of the open hatch to fuel his skills.

Zac's options were limited, with almost half his Skill Fractals damaged beyond functionality. The biggest losses on his Draugr side were [Eye of Desolation] and [Arbiter of the Abyss]. The good news was that Kator likely toiled under similar restrictions, as he'd only activated two of his skills along with his Miracle Bones.

Activating [Profane Exponents] took priority. It barely worked, though the mismatch of energy added another set of cracks. A vibrant jungle sprung up at the same time, enclosing Kator and his creature in a violent embrace. The swamp fiercely resisted their growth, but the new set of shadows cast by the saplings sacrificed themselves to allow Life to expand freely. Finally, a dense shroud spread between the trees as [Fields of Despair] added another layer of confusion.

The skills couldn't do much against the dragon. The huge figure was like the king of the jungle, and a corridor of trees was reduced to ash from wood as its breath closed in on Zac. Each loss triggered a defiant strike of axelight, and the plume of deathly corrosion had lost half its force by the time it reached [Profane Exponent]'s coffin.

While weakened, the breath was still released by one of Kator's signature skills and fueled by Dead Dao. Zac's defensive skill was covered in cracks after blocking, and a sharp bone tore through it. It was a lash from the dragon's overlong tail stabbing forward like a scorpion. It only found empty air when going in for the kill. Zac had already stepped into one of the trees and teleported away. Using the teleportation with his Draugr body posed no problem beyond the uncomfortable caress of Life.

A swarm of shadows rose to bind the dragon while a burning salamander the size of a Beast King emerged from the dense overgrowth. Behind it was a totem pole no smaller than a skyscraper, which empowered Life and suppressed Death. The duo even appeared in person, going all out to pin down Kator's summon while Zac dealt with the controller. At least, that was the unspoken plan.

Zac didn't have time to emerge on the other end before Kator appeared in a shroud of Miasma leaking from a bracer on his left arm. [Fields of Despair] had utterly failed to hide Zac's position, turning his ambush against him. There was no time or space to maneuver. He had to meet the threat head-on. A field of nullification suddenly expanded, trapping Kator within.

Kator only laughed as the shroud of Miasma skyrocketed in power. Zac inwardly swore upon seeing Kator use quantity to overwhelm [Void Zone]. The talent was still running, but Kator barely had to face any of it himself. Zac could only keep going. Chains reeking of inexorability pierced the shroud, aiming to slow Kator down through [Inexorable Subjugation].

The reaver's laugh only grew deeper as Zac helplessly had his perception overwritten. Kator suddenly towered above him, his size almost a match to the Foreign God. He emitted an equally brutal aura to match, one of utmost dominance. Zac felt like a grain of sand standing before a towering mountain, and knowing it was an attack on his mind couldn't stop the sense of despair creeping into his heart.

An explosion rocked his Quantum Space, waking Zac up. He'd briefly lost control from the mental attack, and that was all Kator needed. Zac's automatic defensive treasures failed to activate because of [Void Zone], leaving Zac almost fully exposed. Alea's chains formed a protective web at the last moment, slightly weakening the mace through a defensive use of [Inexorable Subjugation].

The mace struck with the force of a speeding train. At least five of Zac's ribs snapped, and he briefly felt like he was drowning as the air in his lungs was replaced by hostile Dao. It could have been much worse. For one, Kator was aiming for his Cosmic Core rather than his torso. The berserk powers infused in the strike would have flooded his Quantum Space if not for his last-moment adjustment to tank the blow with [Love's Bond]'s heart protector.

Zac let the force in Kator's strike push him away, narrowly avoiding his chains being caught as Kator pursued to finish the job. He was too close, and Zac could sense another skill activate through the dense wall of Miasma. Zac had no choice. The Void stirred, and a pitch-black streak of Death silently rose from beneath.

It entered the jungle without causing a stir, aiming straight for Kator. The scroll of [Desperation's End] barely had time to form before the strike was upon them. Zac felt death's grip closing in despite it being his own skill, and he urgently manipulated his chains. Kator growled and retreated hundreds of meters in an instant.

It was like gravity had shifted and exponentially increased, making Kator fall sideways with enough speed to make it look like teleportation. It was his movement skill, which relied on a combination of his Daos of Gravity and Time. While he moved back, another Javelin shot forth. Only its tip managed to cross the distance before the huge gash of Death separated the combatants.

A flash of pain bloomed in Zac's side. He dragged out the mangled spearhead and disappeared into a tree. It was a huge loss to waste [Desperation's End] to force a disengage, but Zac couldn't take the risk of letting Kator close in. Zac still wasn't clear about all of Kator's skills, let alone his other means. The first strike had been a test to see his counter worked against the Void and whether Zac's apparent weakness was a trap. The second strike was meant to kill.

Knowing that wasn't enough to make Zac back down. Ogras and Emily were risking their lives to keep the dragon occupied. The dust didn't have time to settle before a tangle of vines burst out from a tree that had survived the pitched battle. Streaks of axelight poured out of one another as another Zac radiating Life and Conflict emerged, drabbed in the bone armor of [Confirmation of Supremacy]'s Ancestral Form. Meanwhile, Zac's Draugr half sat down on the Core Formation array, taking over its maintenance while nursing his wounds.

Time's erosion couldn't quell Life's unyielding drive. Innumerable vines grew out of the trees and the air itself, swarming Kator like a horde of starving snakes. Kator was like a fallen god of war, wreaking destruction and wielding death. Anything that came close was destroyed, which only let the vines be reborn stronger and more adapted to this specific predator. Dozens of generations passed in the blink of an eye, and each added to [Primal Edict]'s resistance to the Daos of Time and Death.

The Pathbound skill had limitations to how many vines it could grow and their improvement. The latter was limited by Zac's Daos, the former his energy supply—neither of which Zac didn't have in ample supply. Zac didn't expect the skill to singlehandedly deal with his enemy. He only hoped it could create an opening to exploit.

It didn't, not even when adding Haro's ferocious assistance and a barrage of fractal blades conjured with [Evolutionary Edge]. It almost looked like Kator was burning, except it was purple Killing Intent and the devastatingly powerful Domain created with his Miracle Bone halo. He destroyed everything barring his path as he closed in, forcing Zac to consider another retreat.

A loud clap of thunder warned Zac he was running out of time. The clouds were crowding so low that the large bulge right above their heads was about to squeeze into the Centurion Base. The gathering forces were horrifying, exceeding anything he'd faced before.

Even the sun of Imperial Faith flickered in duress, and Zac felt an existential threat from the crackling lightning. Kator was the same. He roared, and a white curtain emerged from his body. Despite its pristine appearance, it exuded a horrifying killing intent. It filled Zac with greater pressure than the most blood-drenched armies he'd faced during the war.

Was this the 'White Sky' of the White Sky Phalanx? It couldn't be anything else, as it gave off an air like it was ready to go to war with the Heavens. The second sky was too powerful to be a Bloodline Talent, though it wasn't quite at the level where it could be considered a special method like Valsa Planur's imperial sigil.

Wherever it passed, Zac rapidly lost connection to his skills, whether it was the vines of [Profane Exponents] or [Apex Jungle]. Only Haro managed to resist, if briefly. Zac felt a set of transmitted scenes—skeletal hands ripping apart the vines or bone weapons severing them. It was like a whole legion was hidden within that opaque white. It was also expanding incredibly fast.

If nothing was done, it'd soon consume the whole battlefield. Worse, Zac felt his connection with the Imperial Faith sun grow weaker by the moment, like it was suppressed by the Izh'Rak sky. Zac didn't know what Kator was planning. Perhaps he felt the only way to survive the next bolt was by hiding within his ancestral ability. Maybe he believed the Imperial Faith was only really helping Zac.

Kator might even have realized he couldn't kill Zac in time, and this was his idea to drag his opponent into the afterlife. Either case, something had to be done, and fast. Zac's eyes shone with madness as huge swathes of [Apex Jungle] exploded, this time by his hand. The shockwave pushed into the encroaching white, which only paused its expansion.

Growing more desperate as the lightning gathered in the clouds above, Zac unleashed a barrage of fractal blades to form a web of destruction. The blades dug into the boundless white, quickly having their momentum stifled. Just before losing connection, Zac triggered all 99 runes of [Conformation of Supremacy] in one go, causing an earth-shattering eruption.

Not even the White Sky could perfectly endure the full might of [Conformation of Supremacy]. The domain bulged outward, like it struggled to contain the force, and began flickering. Zac suddenly spotted Kator in the distance. He was holding his hands outstretched, palms upward, like he was praying. Having his location, Zac struck without hesitation.

A streak of light appeared in the true sky's oppressive gloom. It wasn't the sun peeking through the clouds but a window opened to Arcadia. While the light held a transcendent celestial air, it was not a gentle one. It was filled with unbending judgment that seemed to resonate with the tribulation clouds.

'Watch out!'

Ogras' warning came just as Zac unleashed [Arcadia's Judgment], barely preceding an explosion rocking both Zac's bodies. The Core Formation Arrays would have been destroyed if not for his quickly throwing out a defensive talisman. The same couldn't be said for his human half, who couldn't outrun the force from the bone dragon exploding. Zac pushed [Skystriker] to its limits yet had dozens of broken bones before he outran the shockwave.

What little remained of [Apex Jungle] was ground to dust by a hurricane of blunt bones holding as much kinetic force as one of Kator's all-out swings. The bone storm entered the White Sky, and the two fused into a taboo domain. It destroyed everything in its wake, finally intercepting [Arcadia's Judgment].

The clashing forces approaching the limits of Hegemony finally overwhelmed the spatial integrity, creating a series of Spatial Tears. Sunlight and sin joined in, creating an unholy mix right in the White Sky's center, and the unbridled chaos made it impossible to crown a winner. It was at that time the Heavens chose to release its third lightning bolt. The clouds heaved, and arcs filled to the brim with the Four Desolates were dragged to its center.

More alarmingly, Zac once more spotted Kator in the middle of the storm. His being alive wasn't the bad part, though Zac was shocked at Kator's resilience. His bones were growing with speed visible to Zac's naked eyes, replacing broken plates whenever they were damaged by the tumultuous surroundings. What scared Zac to his core was the reaver's actions.

Kator was braving the storm not to escape but to reach the Flamebearer Seal caught in the middle.

Zac could let it be and allow Kator to target the seal. It had a decent chance of solving all his problems, with Kator becoming dust from the seal's rejection. Zac wasn't even convinced that the [Solidarity Link] could transmit that kind of fundamental annihilation. And yet, Zac couldn't let go of the nagging feeling things wouldn't go the way he hoped. Not mentioning the White Sky's isolating effect on the Imperial Faith, Zac felt giving his opponent this chance would be a monumental mistake.

Kator had already brought him to his wit's end, and there was no telling what he'd do if he were given a Flamebearer Epiphany mid-battle. Even if Zac managed to win in the end, it would only be after sacrificing his cultivation. Trusting his instincts, Zac moved with only a framework of a plan. This wasn't the time for fear or deliberation. It was time for a leap of faith.

Zac's Draugr half was actually quite close to his seal, having already moved the platform closer. Still, there was a storm filled with hurtling bones and the still-standing white sky in the way. Zac channeled his Void-activated [Abyssal Drive] to its limits, but the skill's Abyssal domain fell hopelessly short before the reforming White Sky.

It was barely enough to avoid the fist-sized shrapnel hurtling by, but thousands of invisible hands were tearing apart his intangible body. Zac had no choice but to deactivate the movement skill mid-way, which immediately exposed him to the storm. Zac forged ahead, using both talismans and the remaining skeleton pygmies to buy him a moment of sanctuary.

In that window, [Void Mountain] descended, and Zac drew on the Voids of Life and Death from [Spiritual Void]. The Void of Death permeated his body along with the Earthly Daos of Defiant War and as Reborn Life. They fused into true Evolution, and Zac suddenly looked like he was walking through a calm field. The bones narrowly missed him, their Dao and Zac's Void traveling trajectories fated to never meet.

Meanwhile, Void of Life joined a surge of Dao and Energy on his right shoulder, entering [Extinction Event]'s fractal. A blade made from extreme darkness bit into the white sky, silencing the wordless pressure of the skeletal legion hidden within. It passed right by the Flamebearer seal, heading for Kator, who approached from the opposite end.

The lilac runes atop his skull lit up when the blade struck. Whatever it did allowed Kator's damaged Warbones to resist Oblivion's deadly force. It even destabilized the Oblivion blade, making it collapse in a puff of untargeted annihilation. However, Kator briefly paused when he pushed through the cloud, his fingers just inches away from the Flamebearer seal.

Oblivion was just not a physical phenomenon that could destroy anything. It was the purest exhibit of annihilation, capable of consuming even thought. Most couldn't even remember the attack after seeing it. And while Kator showcased terrifying strength, he was also fighting a losing battle of the mind—a perfect weakness to exploit.

Fingers made from scarred flesh caught up with those of scorched bone, and the transcendent light disappeared. The Cosmos slowed down as its truths were laid bare. Kator was within arm's reach, his aura exuding a deep, smoldering anger. Right above was an almost black lightning bolt filled with Law and extinction. Even the burning sun of Imperial Faith became an unmoving sculpture of enduring Destiny.

Zac briefly felt the scene was a microscopic replica of the Cosmos before discarding all useless thoughts. He welcomed Ultom's Lights into his Soul Aperture, just as awed as the previous times. If there was a way out of this mess, it could be found within.